Saturday, 26 April 2014

A couple of weeks ago I published a rather silly blog bemoaning my cat for not letting me work from my computer at home.

The cat blog got me thinking about other factors that prevent us from being productive when working from home. I suspect that the biggest issue for most of us is procrastination.

Off course, with discipline those household distractions can be overcome. However, there are a number of factors beyond our control that prevent us from working effectively at home.

You could have noisy neighbours? You may even have a noisy partner? Maybe you simply don't have enough space in your home? But for those of us whose work is computer based, slow broadband speeds can be extremely annoying.

The excellent uswitch website has issued the results of detailed research into broadband speeds in different British streets.
The Tables at the end of this Blog have been lifted from the uswitch press release. They show the 50 slowest streets for broadband in the UK, alongside the 10 fastest streets. Anyone lucky enough to live in Loundes Road, Unstone, Dronfield, Derbyshire? You may have the fastest broadband speed in the country!In summary, the research showed that:

Essex features six times in the list of the UK’s 50 slowest streets – more than any other county

It isn’t just rural areas with sluggish broadband – residents of one highly desirable street in Hampstead, NW London, appear in the list of top 50 slowest streets

Four in 10 (40%) Brits are experiencing average speeds of below 5Mbps; while just 15% are experiencing superfast speeds of 30Mbps or above.

Broadband speed is one of those factors that can have a significant impact on our productivity when working from home. So if you suffer from slow broadband speeds it is well worth looking into the alternatives. Marie-Louise Abretti, broadband expert at uSwitch.com, advises that

“Anyone frustrated with their broadband service should test their speeds regularly online and compare their results to other local users with different providers. If the tests reveal that another provider is offering better speeds, consider switching.”

Saturday, 19 April 2014

Spring is here and the garden is beckoning. But maintaining a garden can be a chore. Could this toil be put to better use?

Have your ever considered creating a vegetable plot in your garden? Will growing your own food save you any money? Could you even make money? What fruit and veg should you grow? This post seeks to answer these questions and more.

Will I save money by growing my own fruit and veg?
If you put the effort in - yes.

After costs, the typical household could save around £300 a year on their grocery bill by planting an allotment sized plot with a mix of veg. That works out at £6 a week reduction in your weekly grocery bill.

According to the consumer body "Which?" the average UK household's weekly grocery bill is £77. Therefore a vegetable plot could deliver the typical UK household an 8% reduction on their grocery costs. For those households that eat lots of vegetables, the savings will be higher.

However, focusing on the potential money saved misses the real point of growing your own food. As explained below, the main benefits are non-financial.

What are the benefits of growing my own food?
There are many. Here is just a starter for 10:

Garden fresh, home grown fruit and vegetables taste much better than the supermarket offer.

When you grow your own vegetables you will end up eating more vegetables.

You are in full control of the cultivation. You can cut out pesticides and artificial fertilisers. You can even aim to grow a completely organic crop.

Tending a vegetable plot is good exercise.

A home vegetable plot is an eco-friendly pursuit, delivering a crop with zero "food miles".

No more overgrown garden, all that digging and hoeing will deliver a tidy looking plot.

Growing food for the family is a wholesome past-time for children - it is educational and it gets your kids eating more fruit and veg.

There are few things more personally rewarding than growing your own food.

You can grow those unusual varieties that the supermarkets don't sell.

You could even make some money from your hobby.

But veg is already cheap in my local Aldi?
At 65 pence for a 1 Kg bag of carrots at Aldi it hardly seems financially worthwhile growing your own veg. But if you are comparing your home grown carrots with Aldi's offer, you are not comparing like with like. Whilst there is nothing wrong with Aldi carrots, (they are better than most), there is simply no comparison between the supermarket offer and garden fresh, home grown carrots.

I have not done it before - any advice for beginners?
It is very simple to get started. Buy some packets of vegetable seed and plant them as per the packet instructions.

What about the start-up costs?
Seeds will set you back £1 - £2 a packet.

A bag of compost will put you back around £5, but you can also create your own compost for free.

You may also need to invest in slug pellets at around £6 a tin. Make sure you go with a non-toxic variety. Better still; lay a "beer trap" to keep slugs at bay.

These are the basic start-up costs. You may need to invest in new garden tools etc as your vegetable plot develops.

Is it possible to make money from growing my own food?
Locally sourced, in-season produce is in big demand thanks to trendy Scandinavian restaurants such a Noma. Make contact with restaurants in your area that have menus based on in-season food.

Set up a stall at your local market. Charge a premium by selling gourmet vegetables or unusual fruit varieties that are not available in the supermarkets.

Alternatively, find a local buyer online using specialist local produce websites such as BigBarn

Conclusion
Fundamentally, you can devote lots of time to growing your own food for limited (financial) award. Even so, you should give it a go. Consider it as a wholesome and fulfilling hobby which may save you a little money.